Automated teller machines (ATMs) or automated banking machines (ABMs) allow certain banking activities to be performed without resort to a human teller. For example, withdrawals can be made and fulfilled by value instruments (in many cases, banknotes) dispensed by the machine. In another example, deposits can be made with value instruments inserted into the machine.
Deposits are made up of one or more value instruments. In most existing ATMs, value instruments making up deposits are packaged by the depositor into an envelope and are then inserted into the ATM using an envelope. These envelopes are then retained by the ATM and the amount of each deposit is verified after the ATM is serviced and the envelopes are opened.
More recently, some so-called “envelope-free” ATMs allow value instruments to be received by an ATM without using an envelope. Such ATMs may include a scanner that captures images of value instruments received by the ATM. This may facilitate technologies such as image-based cheque clearing (sometimes referred to as “cheque truncation”) which can allow the handling of the physical cheque in the cheque clearing process to be replaced with electronic transfers of images.
When the cassette(s) from which cash is dispensed to fulfill withdrawals are low or empty, the ATM must be serviced. For example, an armored car service may visit the ATM to refill those cassettes. An ATM may also require servicing if a deposit cassette used to retain deposit items has become full. Indeed, servicing may also involve picking up value instruments retained from deposits.
Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.